


Forgiveness. Can You Imagine?

by poisonflowers



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Forgiveness, Friendship/Love, Mild Language, Post Trespasser, Trespasser Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 09:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6112072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonflowers/pseuds/poisonflowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Varric doesn't like being the Viscount. </p><p>Cassandra "read the shit out of," his latest book, and has a question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgiveness. Can You Imagine?

Varric was trapped. Backed into a corner of his office in the Viscount's keep, surrounded by two tall, glaring figures. 

"Maker, save me from these angry redheads!"

"Oh stop being so dramatic and just put on the blighted crown," Aveline said with a smirk. 

"I don't want to, it's heavy," Varric said. "And since I'm the Viscount now and you're the Guard Captain, I'm pretty sure that makes me your boss, Aveline". 

"It's the City Guard, Varric. My duty is to Kirkwall. As is yours," she said, and left the office to get some real work done. 

Seneshal Bran sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Look, just put on the crown, sit in that chair, and let people complain at you for a few hours. Don't make any promises, don't accept any bribes, and DO NOT give away any more public holdings without speaking to me first."

Varric snactched gold circle from Bran and placed it on his own head. "The chair doesn't even fit me," he grumbled. "My feet don't reach the floor, I feel like a kid up here. Can't you find me some dwarven furniture?"

"The furniture is traditional. We'll get you a footstool." The seneshal crossed his arms, exasperated. "You're just stalling, some of the people out there have waited weeks for an audience."

"Then by all means, let them in."

The seneshal rolled his eyes and left the room, while Varric climbed up onto the too-tall chair behind his too-tall desk. It really was demeaning. He decided to stand.

Bran reentered the room, "for your first appointment of the day, may I present Lady Seeker Cassandra Allegra Portia-"

"Enough," Seeker Cassandra said as she strode into the room. "He knows my name."

Bran gave a small bow before exiting the room, leaving Varric to face Cassandra alone. He looked up at her. Way, way up. Why were humans all so damn tall? She had changed since the last time he saw her, just after The Inquisition had disbanded. Her hair was longer, not by much but it did fall past her ears now. And she no longer pinned up her Nevarran braid, instead letting it hang down on her shoulders. The scars on her face were still there, but faded and softer. Her whole face was softer. 

"Well, shit Seeker!" Varric said "How did you find me?"

"I have been to Kirkwall before, Varric" Cassandra said. "It is where we met, do you not remember? And that man there, the one who accompanied you to the Exalted Council? He told me then where I could find you. "

"Remind me to fire Bran, " Varric said. "Wait, can you fire a seneshal?" 

"No, you can't," shouted Bran from the waiting room. "The removal of the seneshal has to be approved by a committee of-" Varric shut the door. 

"Okay, Seeker, what do you want? And remember, I have a city to run, so you're not allowed to kidnap me this time."

Cassandra reached into her pack an pulled out a book, the one Varric had given her just before they parted ways. She cleared her throat and read aloud, "-the Seeker clutched at my vest, her tears as desperate as they were pitiful. 'Varric, I was wrong about everything,' she sobbed. 'Could you find it in your noble heart to forgive me?'"

Cassandra paused and looked up from the book. 

"Ah, about that, Seeker-"

"Please Varric, there is no need to explain. I have read all of your books, I understand the need to...embellish. For dramatic effect."

"Really?" Varric said. "Then, if you don't mind my asking, what the hell is this all about?"

"I would like an answer to the question."

"And which question is that, Seeker?"

"Do you- Could you ever forgive me?" Her face turned red and she began to speak rapidly, "in the book you do not say, instead you make a joke about nugs and then we are attacked by a bear. Truly, though I am grateful to have been made a character, I do not understand the point of this scene-"

"Aw, Cassandra," Varric sighed, "of course I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago, you think I write romance serials for people I'm still mad at?"

Cassandra smiled at him. Shit, that smile. "I believe you. Thank you, Varric."

"You're welcome, Seeker! And the bear was a metaphor. For your temper."

"Now you are lying."

"You're getting better at this!" Varric paused, "Hey Seeker, Bran said people outside had been waiting to see me for weeks?"

"Yes, although apparently the wait times were much worse under the old Viscount. Your seneshal said there have been fewer complaints."

"Right, but...you? You waited around for weeks just to ask if I'd forgiven you? Why not just send a letter?"

Varric hadn't thought it was possible for Cassandra to blush any harder than she had been a moment ago. But somehow, she managed. "It...was important to me," Cassandra said. "I...I do not wish to discuss it further!"

"Okay," Varric stood, grinning. He removed his crown and tossed it onto the desk."Hey, you wanna go get lunch? My treat."

Cassandra visibly relaxed. "Knowing you we will be heading to The Hanged Man, which is not much of a treat. But," she gestured to door behind her, "there is still a line of people waiting to meet with you. Are you sure you can get away?" 

"Not The Hanged Man, there's this little Antivan place down by the docks- candles, tablecloths, the whole lot. And we'll take the back way out." He said, and jumped out the window. 

"Ugh," Cassandra poked her head out to see him balanced on the ledge, "Varric, I am not a rogue. And you are the Viscount now! This is not proper behavior."

"What's the matter Seeker, getting too old for climbing down trellises?" Varric said with a teasing smile, "we used to do this all the time back in the Inquisition, how about once more for old times sake?" He said, offered her his hand.

Cassandra smiled back, took Varric's hand, and followed him out the window.


End file.
